Yesterday, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management released a Memorandum on Reasonable Accommodations for Religious Purposes (full text) instructing executive branch agencies and departments to "adopt a generous approach to approving religious accommodations." The Memorandum in particular discusses Telework, compensatory time off and Maxiflex work schedules as methods of accommodating religious practices. The Memorandum reads in part:
Upon receiving a request for a religious accommodation, agencies must engage in a good-faith interactive process with the employee to explore reasonable accommodations. Agencies should further assess whether an accommodation imposes a substantial burden on operations. Agencies should document their analyses to ensure compliance with Title VII and applicable law. Agencies are also reminded that religious accommodations may involve multiple, complementary or hybrid approaches to fully address an employee’s religious needs. For example, combining telework and a maxiflex work schedule could be particularly effective for practices such as Sabbath observance, where religious obligations may span only part of a workday. Agencies should consider tailored solutions in ensuring compliance with Title VII.
Fox News reports on the Memorandum.